


What's in a name?

by Craftybadger1234



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Spanking, Temper Tantrums
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 02:53:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11221782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Craftybadger1234/pseuds/Craftybadger1234
Summary: Me: stop over analyzing, it's just a fun children's book series.Also me: how hard was it, do you think, for Petunia to teach Harry to call her "Aunt Petunia"?





	What's in a name?

**Author's Note:**

> Harry is roughly 18 months old at the beginning, and it moves through a year.

Winter

Petunia settled at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. The two boys were playing with blocks in the other room. She could hear the clunk of each block in the stack and the sharp cry when the tower tumbled. It would buy her a few moments peace.

But only a few moments.

Dudley waddled into the kitchen. “Mummy. I want juice.”

“Of course, dearest,” she sighed. “I’ll get it for you.” He tugged at her skirt while she walked to the cabinet for a cup.

“Juice, Mummy! I want juice!” 

“I’m getting the juice, sweetums. Just a moment.” She poured the juice and searched for the proper lid. 

“JUICE! I WANT JUICE!” 

She snapped the lid on his sippy cup and handed it to him. “There you are darling.”

“Mummy. Juice. Too,” a quiet voice said behind her.

She landed a smack across Harry’s leg. 

“I am not your mummy! It’s Petunia. Aunt Petunia.”

His lower lip trembled and tears spilled from his eyes but he didn’t give in to a tantrum. He’d learned quickly that would only earn him cupboard time. Instead he ducked his head and returned to the living room.

No juice for Harry today.

\--------

Spring

The park was empty on this chilly morning. Petunia watched Dudley climb the ladder and go down the slide. He tried crawling back up the slide but it was slippery, not meant for such action. Still, he was persistent and eventually made it to the top. He stood with hands raised high.

“I made it, Mummy! Look at me! I made it to the top!”

“Yes, I see, dearest. That’s wonderful!”

Down the slide, slow crawl back to the top.

“Look, Mummy! I did it!”

“Yes, love! Good job!”

“Watch me, Mummy! Watch!” 

Down the slide, slow crawl to the top.

“I did it, Mummy! Did you see? Mummy, did you watch?”

“Yes, sweetums, I watched. You’re such a good climber!”

“I’m going again. Watch Mummy! Watch me!”

Down the slide. A tap at her side. She looked down at Harry.

“I go swing?”

“I'm not pushing you on the swings right now. I'm watching Dudley on the slide.”

He reached a hand towards her but pulled back quickly. He wrung his hands together. “Please, Tuney.”

A hard smack across his leg. “Don’t call me that. It’s Petunia. Peh-too-nyah. Aunt Petunia. Understand?”

Harry nodded then toddled to the merry go round. He sat silently, kicking at the dirt to make it spin.

\--------

Summer

The grocery store bustled with the usual Friday afternoon activity. Petunia regretted not coming earlier but some things could not be helped. All they needed was sugar, cheese, and applesauce. Sugar, cheese, and applesauce. Sugar, cheese, and applesauce. 

She grabbed a little basket as she went through the door. Sugar, cheese, and applesauce.

“Dudley, take Harry’s hand. We only need a few things so we’ll be quick.” Sugar, cheese, and applesauce.

She took Dudley’s hand and pulled the two boys through the store. Sugar, done. Cheese and applesauce. Cheese and applesauce.

“I want biscuits.”

“No, dearest, no biscuits today.” Cheese and applesauce.

“Crisps! Buy me crisps!”

“No crisps today, darling.” Applesauce, done. Just cheese left.

“You never buy me anything! I want candy! I want this candy!” He pointed at a bright purple package of dairy milk but she held firm.

“I’m sorry, darling, but we only have money for these three things. Let’s go find the cheese and then we’ll go home. We have biscuits at home for you.”

She took his hand and pulled him towards the dairy section. 

Harry. Harry was no longer holding Dudley’s hand. She turned in a circle, looking for the dark haired boy.

“Harry? Harry! Where are you?” Drat that boy. Always wandering.

She hurried up and down the aisles, pulling a protesting Dudley along with her.

“Don’t want cheese! I want candy!” Dudley pulled against her, trying to drag her back to the chocolate. 

“We need to find Harry, and then we’ll get candy. Will you help me find that blasted boy?”

She turned down the next aisle, relieved to find Harry standing quietly next to the sugar. 

A young woman was holding his hand.

“Did you lose your mummy?” she asked. “What’s her name? I’ll help you find her.”

Harry just shook his head.

“What does she look like?”

Harry shook his head again, staring at his feet.

“There you are! You naughty boy, giving me a fright.” Petunia pasted a smile on her face and took Harry’s hand from the meddling woman. “Thank you, but I’ve got him now. I should have got a trolley to keep them close. Thought a basket would be faster.”

“Oh it’s all right. He’s a quiet little thing, isn’t he? I think he just wanted to wait for you to find him.”

“Well I have him now. Thank you. We’ll just be going.” She turned, holding Harry’s hand. As they walked away, she fussed at him. “You should have called me. I thought you were lost.”

But Harry knew it was safer not to call her anything at all.

\--------

Fall

Petunia wrestled Dudley into his shirt. 

“No! Don't want it! I don't want this shirt!” He flailed his arms and tugged at the collar.

“I know you don't like it but Auntie Marge is coming and we want to look our best, darling.” She struggled through the buttons while he whined. “All set. Let's get your trousers on.”

He kicked his feet, almost clipping her cheek. She tried to get a good grip on the squirming boy. Every time she got one of his legs in his trousers, the other would kick free. She finally laid across both legs to hold him still. 

“Done!” She said with a sharp exhale. “Now where are your shoes?”

“Don't want shoes! I want my train shirt. I don't want this shirt!” Dudley rolled across the floor, rubbing his snotty nose into the carpet. 

“Here we are! Let's get your shoes on and we'll have a nice snack. Would you like a snack? I have hobnobs for good little boys. Are you going to be a good little boy?”

Apparently this was a sufficient bribe. Dudley lay still on his belly, but still whining into the carpet. Petunia got his shoes on. She pat his bottom and said, “Good boy. Up you go.”

Dudley stood and wiped his wet face on his sleeve. “I want hobnobs now. Two of them.” He held up two chubby fingers. 

Petunia gave them a kiss. “Of course dearest, let's go.” 

She found Harry in the hallway outside his cupboard, sitting next to his shoes. “I have my shoes on too.”

Petunia groaned. “Can't you do anything? Oh, I can't wait for you to do these things for yourself. I hate putting on shoes.”

“Thank you, Aunt Petunia. I have biscuit too?”

“And ruin your shirt with chocolate and crumbs? Absolutely not! Go sit, Auntie Marge will be here soon.”

Harry sat alone by the window, practicing the new name.


End file.
